Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, Bad Day and any other song and/or band mentioned here. Sorry.
ROBIN DRAKE: Monday – 7:00am
"Good morning, Jump City! You're now listening to Station 2.5, the Radio Station of the City! And I'm B. Diggity, the Radio DJ of the City!" B. Diggity's maddeningly annoying and super jovial voice rang inside my head. He usually acted as my daily alarm – and it reeks. "Up next on the station is the city's newest big hit! It's…" I held onto the digital alarm clock-slash-radio, preparing to send it flying across my room, since I knew the songs on B. Diggity's station sucked. But before I could, the so-called Radio DJ of the City spoke again. "…Daniel Powter's 'Bad Day'!"
Honestly, I didn't know why I paused and felt like I had no plans of hurling the accursed clock towards my wall. Maybe it was because I've heard my good friend, Garfield, jabbering about that song before. Or maybe it was because of the… rhythmic piano intro.
Where is the moment we need at the most?
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue skies fade to grey
They tell me your passion's gone away
And I don't need no carryin' on…
For the first time in my whole life, I left the alarm in its place, letting it belt the song out loud. Usually, if the song sucked, I'd send the alarm crashing on my wall. That's how I broke seven alarm clocks.
And normally, I wouldn't be listening to songs like… well, like what I'm listening to now. I'd rather be listening to Simple Plan or Franz Ferdinand. But there was something about this song that made me like it in an instant. Maybe it was the tune. And then again, maybe it was the words. …Or both. I disappeared behind my bathroom door, singing the chorus.
Monday – 7:30am
It's exactly 7:30 now that I've arrived at the Jump City Subway. HA. Three minutes earlier than before…
I'm taking the Subway Train because even though I'm already sixteen and in my Sophomore Year in JHS, I don't have a car because I don't have my license and I don't have my license because I don't have my Learner's Permit. The price of that – not having a car, I mean – is that I have to wake up very early every morning so I can wait for the Daybreak Subway Train, which arrives at precisely 7:35. Life does that to ya.
The metallic grey train stopped in front of me and the other passengers. Quickly, I stood up and took my navy blue messenger bag, slipping it over my head. Unfortunately, when I got on, all the seats were taken. Well, not really. There was this one seat near the window that I was about take, but then this wrinkled and elderly couple came to me and asked if they could sit there.
And, of course, being the respectful person that I am, I let them have it. I had to stand up the whole trip – I could swear I heard my feet groaning. It's not fair. Then again, nothing's fair. And what happened after that was "Bad Day" began playing on the train's radio.
You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You're faking a smile with the coffee to go
You tell me your life's been way off line
You're falling to pieces every time
And I don't need no carryin' on…
After hearing that song once more, I felt much better. Now that I've thought about it, the song has some weird, unexplainable similarity with my life…
Monday – 3:25pm
My freakin' Art teacher Mr. Mod is this really off and kooky guy who started cracking one really lame joke and everyone began laughing. Like, loud. Me? I didn't even bother to listen to that silly little jest. I just slumped down and looked straight at the chalkboard, wondering if my eyes could see right through it…
"OY, Robin Drake! You better pull up your grades in Art. A 'D' isn't good enough for me!" I looked up and saw Mr. Mod handing me my latest work. A red D was written on the upper right corner of the paper. My eyes widened and I sat up straight. "WHAT?" I cried. Before I could complain, Mr. Mod was over to the next row.
I stared back at my paper not believing my grade. HELLO? My work was perfect. I drew the apple, the mango, the avocado and the grapes just like the way I saw them! Not to brag, but they even looked 3D! Ever since First Grade, I've always been excelling in Art – always. But then enter Mr. Mod and my high grades went down the drain. Really, what is the guy's problem? Why does he hate me so much?
Man, that teacher sure knows how to torture me… Out of blind anger, I wrote the words YOU ARE UNFAIR on the back of my paper, crumpled it then threw it straight at his head. The words of Bad Day kept playing over and over in my mind.
Well, you need a blue sky holiday
The point is they laugh at what you say
And I don't need no carryin' on…
I looked at my watch. 3:25 – only five minutes before the final bell rings. Oh, what the heck? I stood up, grabbed my messenger bag and stormed out the room anyway.
Monday – 3:40pm
I sat on the bench in our schoolyard. Feeling bored, I took out my felt tip pens and ripped out a page from my notebook. I began doodling on it endlessly. Skulls, explosions and hanging eyeballs were repeatedly drawn, showing how bad I felt. And no, it wasn't just about Art. It was the whole infuriating day. From first period to the last, stuff – stuff that I didn't like – happened. Like in Math, Mr. Blood accused me wrongly of cheating. I tried explaining to him that I didn't do anything and that it was that accursed Kitten Moth who did the cheating, but he didn't listen. Also, Garfield wasn't present to be my lab partner. I had to be paired with Red Xavier, that jerk.
'Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
I looked up from my doodle and gazed at my surroundings. Not so far from the bench I was sitting on, a girl who looked like she was my age had her head looking down on a piece of paper. She held a pen in one hand and it seemed to me that she was also doodling. She had a scowl on her somewhat… pretty face. Her green eyes interested me. Seeing a girl who was in a same angry condition as me made me smile and happily go back to my doodling.
Monday – 3:50pm
I got off from the Afternoon Subway Train and began heading for home. Before I could leave the subway, though, I saw a small billboard on the wall. On it was a girl in a dress, having short black hair and sipping on the straw of her soda. Her eyes were looking up to the words in one corner saying SHINE. It looked perfectly normal except for that one piece of "art" left on it – someone had drawn a rain cloud with black ink on top of the girl on the billboard. Suddenly, I felt… inspired.
While Bad Day played on the Subway radio, I took my red felt tip pen and drew an umbrella for the girl, its base starting on top of the soda the girl was sipping to make it seem like she was holding it. I wouldn't call it vandalism, but… Well, I did it anyway.
Sometimes the system goes on the blink
And the whole thing turns out wrong
You might not make it back and you know
That you could be well… oh, that strong
And I'm not wrong
Tuesday – 3:50pm
Today was better than yesterday, I think. And I've been hearing Bad Day over and over again. It's actually very nice. It's like the song is guiding me, or something. So, anyway, I got off the train and saw the billboard again. This time, a new doodle was added – in the same black ink. That someone from yesterday was back. I went closer and saw what was added. A huge car tilting on the sides, making water come splashing towards the girl. And I thought, drawing time again.
I went over there, took my red ink and began doodling. I drew a guy who sat on the bench just right next to the girl, to cover her from the splashing water. And just to make it a little funny, I added a question mark next to the guy's head.
So where is the passion when you need it the most?
Oh, you and I
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
Wednesday – 7:30am
I slowly got off from the Daybreak Subway Train, straightening the straps on my messenger bag, when I saw that the Mystery Person who doodled on the billboard went earlier than me. But this time, the person didn't make a HUGE change. All that was there was a black question mark that faced the other side. It was also sticking to my question mark, therefore forming a heart. A heart. Between the guy I drew and the girl on the billboard.This time, I couldn't make any more changes. It was already… perfect as it is.
Wednesday – 3:50pm
For the whole day, I couldn't stop thinking about who the Mystery Doodler was. I knew it was a girl. Of course, it would be. I mean… why would a BOY draw a heart there? I'm not stupid. But, I wonder. Who could it be? The only girl I know is Raven – and she already likes Garfield. As I went down from the Afternoon Subway Train, I saw that there was nothing new added to the billboard. That made me glad. Meaning she – the doodler – understood what I meant by leaving it that way, with no changes. Bad Day started playing over the Subway radio again.
I could still hear it as I got out of the subway. Outside, though, it was raining. Good thing I took that extra umbrella from the classroom when "dear Mr. Mod" said it was gonna rain. For once, I feel thankful for that.
Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
You've seen what you like
And how does it feel for one more time
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
I started calling for a cab when, all of a sudden, I saw this girl on my left. She was desperately trying to get a cab to stop – but not a single one did. Also, she didn't have an umbrella. She just used her books to cover her head. I looked closer. The girl looked familiar. Red hair, green eyes and… that scowl. …Of course! She was that girl from yesterday! The one who looked angry and had been… doodling… on her… No. It can't be.
I walked up to her and sheltered her with my umbrella. She looked up, surprised to see the rain not wetting her. She saw me. For a while there, everything seemed to stop. I looked into her eyes and she looked into mine. And we seemed to form a mental connection. She smiled. "Did you… at the subway… were you…" she couldn't finish her sentence. But I knew what she was talking about. I knew SO much. I nodded, smiling. "Yes. The red ink? That was my work," I said. She chuckled and held out her hand. "Kori Anders. You?"
I shook her wet hand. "It's Robin. Robin Drake."
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